


Only fools...

by craziestfangirl98



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Developing Relationship, M/M, Mani and Maggie love Tony Stark, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Protective Natasha Romanov, Soft!Tony, Tony Stark Feels, Tony and Steve are in love, Tony is loved, cute!!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 05:43:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20773493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/craziestfangirl98/pseuds/craziestfangirl98
Summary: Natasha and Rhodey are trying to figure out what to do with Tony and Steve being sooo domestic and lovey dovey to each other without being in an actual relationship. This has to be fixed before it is too late and somebody ends up getting hurt....





	Only fools...

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zauthor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zauthor/gifts).

> It's been long since I wrote anything other than academics and hope you like it. Let me know what you think of this!  
Also, Happy Birthday once again Meri Mani...

It had started with small things.  
Early one morning after a 38-hour science binge, Tony had come to the kitchen in the Avengers Lounge, to get himself a cup of coffee with no cream and too much of sugar. Glancing at the wall clock he realised it’s about time that Steve was gonna be back from his run soon. On autopilot he made another of coffee as well, this time two creams and no sugar and continued with having his coffee. Giving Steve his cup of coffee, a tired Tony Stark went back to his room to get ready for an SI meeting. This continued for 2 weeks at odd times. By the third Thursday, his biological clock which has refused to work efficiently for so long is adamant that he wake up early just so that he can share the time while drinking coffee with Steve.  
As a result of that, sometimes they end up having breakfast together as well made by Steve, who makes the best waffles Tony had since Ana Jarvis. One time Sam and Clint wanted to join in on breakfast and hogged all of Cap’s attention and if Tony was completely off and in a bad and sulky mood the entire day nobody had to know but him.  
From there things like looking out for each other to have food and to give each other company when they had nightmares, looking after each other when either of them recklessly gave up their safety in the missions all of these became very common and also expected.  
Now, Tony’s not oblivious to the situation, as much as he’d like to make everyone believe that, no it’s quite the opposite. He’s hyper-aware of the casual domesticity of the situation. He knows that it’s a very specific wavelength that they’ve stumbled upon and no matter how he looks at it, he and Steve are acting like a well-established couple to the point where no one can tell where one ends and where the other starts.  
And it wasn’t that he had a problem with it because he didn’t want it, it was quite the contrary. Tony hoped against hope that he is not reading too much into affection. Over the past few years, Tony had fallen stupidly in love with Steve which was why the public dubbed civil war hurt him so badly. He never thought he could recover, but his heart was just working on its own.  
Now, interestingly Tony wasn’t the only one who was hyper-aware of this situation. Two other people in the tower were as aware of it or maybe even more than him. Them being, a confident Russian spy and an air force colonel.  
Natasha and Rhodey did not really start on amicable terms. Obviously, if you take into consideration that the spy had shadowed Rhodey’s best friend while he was dying and had made observations and reports that the mechanic still thinks is real, things are bound to be uncomfortable between them. Even though Tony didn’t know it by himself, Rhodey had found out a few years ago that Natasha’s evaluation of his best friend has been considered null and void at her request. After this information was revealed things got better in between these two before the mess that was the civil war, the red-head’s actions in the airport had put her back on the air force colonel’s hit-list until she had come back apologised and close to grovelled at his and more importantly Tony’s feet. Now, five years later, he knew she has gotten as protective of the mechanic as he is, and that made him feel slightly better regarding the situation.  
‘How much longer do you think they will be pining after each other?’ Natasha asked Rhodey in all seriousness while watching the two lovebirds having breakfast.  
‘I don’t know about that. What I do know is that if Steve doesn’t get his head out of his ass and tell Tony soon, he has at least a king of a country, a sorcerer supreme and the CEO of Tony’s company ready to woo him, that Steve needs to get through. Whether or not it works out. I also know that Tony is not going to make a move.’  
‘I guess you are right. It is going to be one hell of an epic showdown.’ turning towards Rhodey, she added ‘Well as long as he ends up being happy nothing else matters really. Lord knows he deserves some happiness in his life.’  
They shared a soft smile between the two of them and then went ahead with the day. 

********

Originally, the plan was to let the pair discover things on their own, it’s only fair you see, adults with their own lives with no meddling and what not. But the problem was that it’s been upto 8 months now. Rhodey and Nat had bet on months and 4 months respectively but now this is just too far gone, even for these idiots.  
“How many days?” Natasha looked over to Steve who’s trying to haul up a puddle of laundry from where his counterpart dropped it. “Till they get together?” Rhodey asked from beside her where he’s sitting on the couch. Natasha turned her gaze towards her newfound ally, one of her eyebrows arched.  
“Steve, honey, you could just use a bag, you know?” They watch as Tony appeared from God-knows-where, an old satchel shoved under his right armpit. ‘He looks better’ is the first thing that comes to Natasha’s mind. Tony took Steve by the shoulder and pulled him towards the dining table, which mind you looked borderline hysterical exhibit: smol man pulling supersoldier giant to smol dining area. He dropped his hand, pulling a chair out spontaneously with the free hand and almost pushed Steve on it. “Let me show you, okay?” He said patiently as if explaining to a five-year-old.  
“Tony, what?” Steve almost rolled his eyes. “I don’t need you to show me. I am a highly capable man and can manage to get my laundry on my own.” Saying that he picks up the laundry just to see all the clothes tumble onto him once again. At this Tony just cackles and Natasha and Rhodey are so shocked because it has been years since they have seen their best friend laugh so genuinely. Mind you, it is the healthiest and happiest they have seen him for a while now. Maybe the two idiots have actually figured it out and are already in a relationship? It is odd to contemplate because they’ve been an old married couple even before they got together.  
While the two friends stared unapologetically at the two flirtatious lovebirds, they tried to hide their disbelief, because when and how did these idiots grow up and speak about their feelings!!!  
Rhodey thought best to just talk it out for them ‘Umm, what is going on here?’  
‘What happened Honeybear?’ Asked Tony oblivious to the stares from his friends busy getting into Steve’s lap.  
‘What he means is, why are climbing Steve like he is a tree and you are a Koala?’ offered Natasha with a pointed look which had Tony blushing and Steve with a massive grin.  
‘Well… Natasha, Rhodey…. Meet my boyfriend.’ Followed by planting a soft kiss on said boyfriend.  
‘What! How long has this been going?’ Nat and Rhodey asked in unison.  
‘Umm! Promise ‘that you won’t be mad at us? We started dating a month or so after you said it’s going to be an epic showdown’ It was very obvious that none of the two could keep their hands of the other.’ ‘Well, in case you have a bet you both lost and if anything you owe us money.’ said Steve and when people would usually assume that tony is the trouble-maker in this pair this grin would prove otherwise and break so many hearts around the world.  
With a calculating stare towards the couple, Rhodey looked square in the face and said, ‘You break his heart, and I wouldn’t even wait to put on the suit to come behind and beat your ass. You hurt him once, never again. Tony, I love you and you better still have time for me. I was still the first man in your life, and I still deserved to be able to spoil you.’ While giving a firm hug he whispered in the genius’ ear ‘I’m happy and proud of you buddy. Let me know if he is treating you right.’  
‘I love you too, honey bear!’ the mechanic replied back grinning to his friend’s retreating back.  
‘Steve, you better make sure you treasure him. I may be amazing at hiding corpses, but I don’t think me nor Rhodey would be the worst you would face. There is still Pepper and Happy, and they would not let you hurt him. Tony, I hurt you once. I don’t choose to do that again. I have your back.’ With a hug and whispered ‘I’m happy for you Tony’ she retreated out of the room.  
Now, this was a new one for Tony. After the mess and everything that came with it, Tony didn’t expect that Natasha cared about him’ so much, it felt good to have new people on his side.  
‘Why is everyone threatening you and not me? Last week it was Brucie Bear and today these two. Did I miss anything?’ asked Tony incredulous.  
‘You missed the fact that you are so amazing, and everyone knows that, by precedence I hurt you again and again while you have been nothing but the best. I’m sorry, and I love you, babe.’ Steve said, solemnly. ‘I love you too, Steve! Thank you so much for all this…’  
Tony knew this time for sure, that if things go wrong with life he had people in his corner. With a grin and hands interlinked the couple left for their dinner date, their laundry promptly forgotten.


End file.
